Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Wendy White-Prausa, Georgia, 2001

Wendy White-Prausa, Georgia, inducted in 2001Wendy White Prausa

  • Dominated at all levels of junior play, reaching the #1 ranking in Georgia in the 16’s and 18’s, the #1 Southern ranking in the 18’s and the #8 ranking in the nation in the 18’s
  • Finalist in the Southern Closed 16’s, won the Southern Closed 18’s and played on 2 Southern 18U Intersectional teams
  • Either won or was the finalist in over 30 junior and amateur tournaments in 1977-1978, 1978 Georgia Player of the Year and was selected to play on the USTA National Junior Wightman Cup, the USTA Junior Federation Cup, the U. S. Continental Cup and the U. S. Connolly Cup teams
  • Played college tennis at Rollins College, then ranked the #4 women’s team in the nation where she was a finalist in the AIAW Division I Collegiate Championships as a freshman and won the event as a sophomore and was named All-American and Collegiate Player of the Year in 1979 and 1980
  • Ranked #26 in the world in 1980, the highest ranking among amateur players before she turned pro
  • Played all the grand slams and ranked in the top 100 in singles for 12 straight years, including the top 40 in 7 of those years and earned her highest world ranking of #19 in 1982 and consistently was ranked in the top 20 in doubles
  • Inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996

Charles W. Owens, Alabama, 2001

Charles W. Owens, Alabama, inducted in 2001charles owens

  • Called many things during his tennis career, but “character” is the most colorful and accurate as his on-court acrobatics and easygoing personality quickly made him one of the most entertaining players in the South
  • Ranked #1 in Alabama in the Boy’s 12’s, 14’s, 16’s and 18’s, #1 in the South in the 14’s, 16’s and 18’s and #6 in the nation in 1968 in the Boy’s 18’s when he won titles at the Georgia State Open, Southern Open, Orange Bowl, Alabama Men’s Championships, National Interscholastic and Sugar Bowl
  • Member of the United States Junior Davis Cup team and winner of the Allan B. Stowe Sportsmanship Award at the national championships in Kalamazoo in 1968
  • Attended Florida where he became the first freshman in SEC history to win both the singles and doubles titles at the conference championships before transferring to Samford where he went undefeated at #1 singles for 2 years and won the NCAA Division II Singles Championship in 1972
  • Turned professional in 1972 and played the U. S. Open on all 3 surfaces between 1972 and 1980, reaching the third round twice and a ranking of #56 in the world in 1979 when he won 4 tournaments
  • Won the USTA National 35’s Clay Courts singles and doubles championships 3 straight years and played on the United States Italia Cup team 3 years, including the 1987 world championship team
  • Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995

Jean Clarke Johnson, Alabama, 2001

Jean Clarke Johnson, Alabama, inducted in 2001

  • Emerged as a star in Southern junior tennis during the war years, earning a #2 ranking in girls singles in 1943 and #1 ranking in 1944
  • Played for Rollins College when they were ranked #1 in the nation
  • Held a #1 or #2 Southern ranking in at least one age division for 16 straight years between 1943 and 1959 and ranked 11th in singles and 8th in doubles in the nation in 1954
  • Played on the 1954 United States Pan American Games team
  • Won the Southern Women’s Singles title 8 times along with multiple championships at the Blue-Gray, Tennessee State Championships and Georgia State Championships
  • Competed in singles, doubles and mixed doubles in the 1956 Wimbledon Championships
  • Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in with the first class in 1985